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Nigerian Community Woes Top America Movie Stars, Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover with Chieftaincy Titles
New York --- Two American top movie actors, Forest Steven Whitaker and Danny Lebern Glover were conferred with Chieftaincy titles by the traditional ruler of Nkwerre town, Imo State, Nigeria, Eze Dr. Chijioke Jeki Okwara on Sunday April 5, 2009. Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover are African-Americans by race; meaning they are descendants of Africans reportedly sold into slavery during the notorious period of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade which took place from 1450 to 1900. By the conferment of chieftaincy titles by the Nigerian authority means, as far as Nigerian social-culture is concerned, the two Americans will from now on be addressed as Chief Forest Steven Whitaker and Chief Danny Lebern Glover and are entitled to all the rights and dignity accorded community chiefs. According to Africans In America News Watch investigation, this effort was spearheaded by one Chief Nze Chukwuka Anyiam-Osigwe, also a community chief of Nkwerre. The town reportedly went in wild jubilation when motorcade escorting the two Americans entered the ancient palace of Eshi of Nkwere while the traditional drummers and women dancers welcomed the guests with songs of praises. In the elaborately planned reception, the world re-known American movie stars were introduced to the people and chiefs of the ancient town by Chief Nze Chukwuka Anyiam-Osigwe, the eldest son of the Anyiam-Osigwe brothers (who also is a title chief of Nkwerre). The elated Anyiam-Osigwe told the jubilant crowd at the palace of Eze Dr. Chijioke Jeki Okwara IV, that the coming of Danny Glover and Forest Whitaker was the greatest thing to happen to black history as history was made on the day the two men re-establish their connection with their root. Forest Whitaker has done a DNA which revealed that he has Igbo ancestral root and a link with Nkwerre people. The eldest Anyiam-Osigwe said, “This is our lost brother. We have found him and brought him home. It is only an Nkwere man that can find his way home after many years. We are a people from unparallel kingdom. We are pride of Igboland. Today our brother Whitaker and his friend Mr. Glover will be made Nkwerre Chiefs and it is not an easy task to be an Nkwerre chief because there are only 30 Nkwerre chiefs in the whole world,’’ he said.
After introducing the Hollywood stars to the people and chiefs, the King ordered they be brought inside the inner chamber for traditional rites preceding their final confirmation as chiefs. It was an emotional one for Whitaker who has been working all his life to establish direct contact with his ancestral Igboland. After the traditional rite of hand washing before the breaking of Kolanut which signifies purity and cleansing the Eze Okwara IV, Eshi of Nkwere called on the Eze Anyiam-Osigwe to once again confirm if the guests are worthy to be made Chiefs of Nkwerre. Before the 20 heads of Villages that made up of Nkwerre, Eze Anyiam-Osigwe proclaims the worthiness of Mr. Glover and Mr. Whitaker to be chiefs of Nkwerre. ‘’Danny Glover is a member of our family for his attitude and ways of assistance to us. Being an Nkwerre chief will help us socially, culturally and economically as our dream of a film village and film institute will be realized with Danny and Whitaker as chiefs of our town. They are good people. We present them as worthy of being chiefs of Nkwerre,’’ Anyiam Osigwe declared. Upon the public affirmation of the duo as worthy of the honor, Eze Okwara asked the palace chief to bring out a live eagle, a symbol of strength, vigor and power to complete the chieftaincy rite. The king removed the feathers of the eagle and stuck it in a red cap before both men wore their caps as red cap chiefs of Nkwerre. Forrest Whitaker was honored with the title of Nwannedinamba of Nkwerre which means a brother in foreign land while Danny Glover had the title of Enyioma of Nkwerre, which means a good friend of Nkwerre. The traditional ruler of Nkwerre told the people at the ceremony that good things are happening to black race with a black man becoming American President. “The black race is an intelligent race. You will see how the Obama stimulus package will bail out the world economy already in recession. It is the same level of black intelligence that made it possible for our son and brother to get to the height of their career as Hollywood stars. When you get to America, tell them you have discovered your root’’, he told Whitaker. The monarch went further, “This meeting today will bring a relationship of partnership between Nkwerre and African-American through cultural exchange and economic opportunities’’. While accepting the honor, the two men thanked the people and the king for accepting them and recognizing their achievements as movie stars and for finding them worthy to be honored. They promised the people that they will live up to the demand of their traditional offices.
In Igboland of Eastern Nigeria, it is customary to confer traditional chieftaincy titles to eminent individuals who have contributed immensely to the development of the society. It is assumed that the grand welcome and titles conferred on the top American movie stars will send a positive message to black people all over the world that they are welcome in Africa. Earlier, the Americans were guests at the just concluded African Movie Academy Awards in Bayelsa State, Nigeria Background information Chief Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and firebrand political activist. A re-known American movie legend that is also described as the dean of African American character actors, Danny Glover’s socio-political activism started in his early years while attending San Francisco State University. Glover was a member of the Black Students Union which, along with the Third World Liberation Front and the American Federation of Teachers, collaborated in a five-month student-led strike to establish a Department of Black Studies. The strike was the longest student walkout in U.S. history. It helped create not only the first Department of Black Studies but also the first School of Ethnic Studies in the U. S. Despite his immense wealth and popularity, in 1999, while visiting New York City, Danny Glover suffered discrimination by the city taxi on the street of New York; taxi after taxi refused to stop when he hailed them, a common phenomenon suffered by blacks in the city streets. He believes he has difficulty getting cab service because of the color of his skin. He also says he has gotten rude treatment from drivers who have picked him up. So on Wednesday, the black actor filed a formal complaint with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) and urged better diversity training for drivers. "The breaking point was to stand outside on 116th Street and have five cabs pass me up," Glover said at a news conference outside TLC offices. "I was so angry." Standing with his daughter, Mandisa, a senior at New York University, he added: "The fact that my daughter's here to go to school, it really upsets me that if she's standing on the corner waiting to get a cab, she can't get a cab...it happens to her, it happens to countless people every single day. The fact that I'm a celebrity, the fact that I'm visible, allows me to draw attention to this." Glover is not the first black person to complain of taxi bias. In 1994, David Dinkins, the city's first black mayor, described watching a cab pass him by only to stop nearby to pick up a white passenger. "It happened to me before I was mayor, and it happened to me since," Dinkins said in a phone call Wednesday. "I know many people to whom it has happened." Glover's lawyer, Randolph Scott-McLaughlin, met with TLC officials to discuss having new cabbies meet with ordinary black New Yorkers as part of their training, and to help the TLC develop a new training video. To avoid embarrassing lawsuits, protests and political support, the City of New York politicians complied with requests of Glover’s lawyers and included "sensitivity training," which includes discussions of prejudices and explanations of the rules and penalties for refusing fares with very high penalty for violators. Danny Glover has starred in numerous movies, including the Lethal Weapon series and The Color Purple. He has won many awards and honors, including Cable ACE Award, NAACP Image Awards, and MTV Movie Award. Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He became the fourth African American male to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, following in the footsteps of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx. Forest Whitaker has starred in numerous movies including The Last King of Scotland which won him Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 2006. He has won many awards and honors. |
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